Malevolent
by poetic licence
Summary: Part 5 to the Monochrome Series. Sometimes the people who you thought you knew the best suddenly become something else; forcing you to reconsider your position before you loose them forever. Harry/Draco


**A Quick Foreword**

Well, this series is turning into a mini-marathon by all accounts: what started off with just one cute three-in-the-morning piece has now turned into six, with plans for another six at the very least. I can't believe what a reception these ficlets have received - people have just embraced them and I am altogether flattered _and_ stunned. At the moment, these ficlets don't have a serious title: I've just been calling them my 'Monochrome Series' - but if anyone has some suggestions for a more fitting title, taking in the nature of series, they would be most gratefully received.

A HUGE thanks goes out to my amazing reviewers, at both FanFic.Net and FictionAlley, as well as two of my beloved yahoo groups, Veela Inc. and Draco and Harry. If any of you would like to see a certain character portrayed in this series, please don't hesitate to email me: I'd love to try and keep going as long as people want to keep reading!

**Malevolent**

It came to me as a revelation.

As soon as I saw him again, I knew something was out of kilter; it was his strained smile that cracked a path across his handsome face. He chuckled at the oddest of things; arched his eyebrow in response to my questions; seemed to be forever glancing over his shoulder as if expecting a spectre to be there, or better yet, a knife in the hand of an enemy.

Dumbledore evaded my questions with pleasant humour, ignoring my raised tones and insistence with arrogance behind his vague smile. The man persisted in being completely aggravating, horribly infuriating to my unsettled mind. 

McGonagall remained no better; turning her nose to me, adopting a haughty air that matched the slim line of her nose. She stepped over and around me, allowing me to only get so far with my investigation.

Snape was even less of a help, which was no great surprise; most of his time was spent refining his sneer in the mirror to the best of his abilities; he had no interest in mere _students_.

Everybody in the place seemed to have adopted a "I know what's going on but the last thing that I'm going to do is admit as much to you so my official line of defence is..._don't ask questions_." - or when that fails - "_No bloody comment_."

It was an unknowing second year Ravenclaw (eager little dears when it comes to information, and bloody useless with knowing when to keep quiet with gossip - that was what the Hufflepuffs were for) who finally gave it away.

Love. _He'd fallen in love_.

I was extremely pleased of course, until however, I found out exactly who he had fallen in love _with_.

_Him_, I was yelling at him an hour later, my voice hoarse from shock and my raised tones, _Him?! Of all the people...how could you develop _**feelings**_ for that...that...abysmal excuse for a human being......have you gone completely out of your...for Merlins' sake...how could you be in love with _**that?**

He cowered in front of me, eyes glaring scorch marks into the floor as I ranted and raved. I pleaded, consoled, pushed, fought, pulled, rationalised, _and threatened._ Threatened his with many absurd and heated things that had no balance, no bearing behind them, no weight but the sound of my own hoarse voice.

_She'd_ never let me of course, _and neither would Dumbledore_, I supposed. But still, I ranted helplessly, hoping that it would be enough for some sense to be knocked into him, trying to guilt trip him into seeing what he was doing couldn't happen anymore.

He stood strong, I'll give him that, eyes still downcast, but determined in his resolve. I ran out of breath and he leapt into the silence as if that was where he had always belonged.

_Nothing you can say could ever make me five him up. Nothing you can do can make me change my mind. Nothing you can threaten me with can change the fact that _**I love him**_. And he loves me. Please don't make me choose between you and him, please, because if you do, I can tell you right now, I'll take him every time, I love you, but he is everything that I am, my days seem complete because he is there. I will go with him if you make me choose, please don't make me, but if that's what it comes down too, there will be no question in my mind, no doubt._

And with that, he walked away.

He left me there a small, deflated ball of self-doubt and departing anger. I had no strength to be furious any more, he had washed it away with his determined resolve; I knew if I didn't try my hardest to accept some small truths, and one large one, I would loose him. He would calmly walk out of my life and she would never forgive me for it; _how could you have so stupid, how? How did you just let him walk away?_

I hung around the edges of the school for the rest of the day, sulking, and then I saw them together, walking around the edge of the forbidden forest, threading their way through the trees at the very edges, just talking. And suddenly, seeing the backs of their hands brush in gentle recognition, the looks they shared, it seemed like the most intimately breath-taking event that I had ever witnessed before.

I was so captivated that I didn't even hear Snape sulk in behind me.

"They make quite a team don't they?" His voice full of disdain and admiration.

"Quite. I'm not sure why I'm letting it continue, but it seems I have no choice in the matter, so I'm ignoring it." I stated.

"And hoping that it goes away?"

I turned to face the dark-eyed Potions Master, my face carefully blank. "Maybe. But right now...maybe it's just better for me to let things run their course," His expression was as careful as my own, I noted with some amusement. "You on the other hand, seem to be almost applauding them, which is extremely strange through my eyes, Severus. Your prize pupil running around with a _Potter_...you must be extremely agitated."

"Narcissa would kill be if I did anything to upset her precious baby boy, you should know this as well as I do."

"True," I turned back to the window and examined the sunlit day with an expectation of youthful love and future. "Just as Molly would kill me if I was stupid enough to let go of Harry before we'd even begun."

- finished -

**Authors Notes:**

A quick clear-up - Severus and Narcissa have been friends for years (that's how I've chosen to portray them anyway) and this will become relevant at a later time - but you'll just have to wait and see. Also: my first real attempt to putting actual _dialogue_ in these ficlets - it shouldn't happen very often, but it was more than necessary for this particular one. Did anyone guess who it actually was talking? (For once I didn't make it altogether clear!)

The latest ficlet I'm working on called **Masterpiece** (should be up by Friday at the very latest) with shock you, surprise you, make you think twice - hell, it's even surprising me...and I'm writing it! - poetic-L


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